Thursday, 14 August 2014

Gardening From Scratch

I have not Meandered here for a while. Well, it has been a cold, wet, windy Winter and there is a lot of interesting things going on in the world at the moment which have kept my keyboard running hot, plus with a plethora of good Kindle books to read and the introduction of the new Western Front armies in Company of Heroes 2, I have actually been quite busy ...just not outside.

That's not quite true. I have been clearing what seems like vast expanses of grass around the house with my scythe on the days when the weather has been a little kinder, and that is progressing well. A couple of really clear, sunny days this week have helped. I am using a 65cm Austrian scythe blade, the length being known as an All-rounder. It is a good length for most jobs that a scythe might be used for. Since deciding that using a scythe is something that I want to and can do, and which fits in with my philosophy of gathering mainly non-powered tools ready for the day when that will be the only way to perform work tasks, I have recently bought two more scythe blades for future, and more specific use. One is a 75cm field blade, the longer sweep being beneficial for mowing large open areas, plus a 40cm veggie blade for close work around growing plants. I have yet to use them, or even sharpen them properly, but if you don't have them, then you don't have the option. That is another part of my philosophy for the future.

Today I discovered a little garden over near the fence. Actually I already knew it was there, I just hadn't gotten around to clearing that area yet. But today I did, and discovered some partially buried seedling trays which confirmed for me that it must have been a little garden at some stage. It is the only area of the land surrounding the house that shows any signs of cultivation except for a couple of straggly rose bushes at the front of the house plus a couple of fruit trees.

This is where I will start my new gardening adventures in what is basically a clean unpainted canvas. Can't wait to get going. I did do a little digging today to see what the soil is like in this little 3m x 3m square bounded by sleepers, and was please to find that it is good and clean under the grass cover, down to a spade blade length and it is replete with worms. A good sign. I have left the grass uncut as I intend to dig this area over completely very soon.

I do have other plans that have been formulating while I have been scything and observing, but more of that another time.

I was standing at the end of my driveway earlier in the week, something I have done several times now, being impressed and awed by the beauty that surrounds me. I have never had a camera with me on these occasions, but I did today (just my phone cam), so I took a short panaramic video of the sight. I keep forgetting that I have a Gopro and will have to find it and retake the view at a better time of the day when to Sun is behind or overhead. Anyway, here it is, for what it is.

3 comments:

Sorry, I have no idea. Only two types of bird here that I have never seen before, so far.

One is I believe a Grey Currawong. Quite a bit larger than the black Currawong and tends to hang from the side of trees pealing off chunks of bark looking for grubs I expect. I haven't heard its call yet though maybe it would be similar to the normal Currawong song.

The other is a speckled bird, bigger than a Wattle and with a straight beak, that I haven't yet identified but it gives a single squawk like that near the middle of the video.

At the beginning is what sounds like a distressed cow type creature :)

Don't think it's a distressed cow ;-) but interesting all the same. I'm sure the single squawk in the middle is still the wattlebird and yes the other could be a currawong. We have them here only rarely, so I'm not familiar with all the variations of the call.